A new bike and pedestrian path that connects the Portland Airport to Marine Drive opened today.
As promised back in June, the new 12-foot wide, half-mile long asphalt pathway runs between Marine Drive and Northeast Frontage Road and connects with the existing bicycle and pedestrian path that serves PDX.
In addition to the path, a new signal on Marine Drive allows users to cross the road and continue down the north slope of the levee to the Marine Drive Trail.
Port of Portland planner Jason Gately says, “Our aim has been to make the airport safe and user-friendly for bicyclists and pedestrians.”
And here’s a snip from the news release from the Port of Portland (they own the airport),
“The last major element of the Portland International Airport Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is now complete…It [the new path] is also an important piece of the regional bicycle and pedestrian trail system, allowing recreational riders to more easily move through the airport vicinity.”
According to the Portland Business Journal, the Port spent $800,000 on the path.
Can’t wait to get out there and check it out for myself.
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I saw the brand new pavement on my ride last week and wondered about it, but the \”Path Closed\” signs kept me from testing it out. I did ride up to Marine Drive from the river path, though, and noted that there appears to be a sensor that makes the crosswalk lights flash when a bike passes over it on the way up to the crosswalk. Cool. New pavement is always nice, too.
I was up there last weekend and took some snapshots. I must have…um…not seen the \”Path Closed\” sign.
http://picasaweb.google.com/reber221/MarineDriveAirportPath
So, I can ship my bike to Portland with me on the plane, and after getting it back in operating condition after the tender mercies of the TSA and baggage handlers, the ride my bike into and around the city of Portland without ever having to stop at the rental car counter for supplimentary transportation? Is that what this means? What\’s the economy like there in Portland? I think I wanna move there.
Opus
Opus, we\’ve been able to get into PDX downtown since 2001 in carless fashion via MAX if that\’s your thing. But I suppose it\’s a benefit if you want to bike the whole way to the airport from certain points too. I\’ve always found airports to be the scariest places to ride (and drive) though. Might have something to do with so many people having no clue on where they are.
In reference to #3 Opus, The only complexity is what to do with your bike box. You could take the whole kit (perhaps leaving bike in box) on the Max and walk the final leg. How I would love to see bike rental alongside car rental but that seems a far off dream. Alternatively, some storage rental for the bike box that\’s cost effective.
The new route and an existing one are quite pleasurable and safe to ride. I frequently ride to the airport and lock my cheap bike with a huge lock.
Not clear how to get to the terminal from the photo, that\’s all the way out at Cascade Station and Airport Way is signed \’closed to bicyclists\’. Unless you are coming from Vancouver, I can\’t imagine making the detour all the way around to Marine Drive to access the Airport by bike. There should be an easier connection from the Cully neighborhood to the south.
How many bike lockers are there at the airport?
\”How many bike lockers are there at the airport?\”
None that I know of…but they do have a bike parking corral that is in a relatively high-visibility location and is surrounded by a chain-link fence.
Check out this post for photos and more details about the airport\’s public bike parking.
There has already been an organized bike ride on the path!
$303 per foot! Who will be responsible for maintenice like sweeping it- Parks and Rec?
Opus,
If you get a Bike Friday with the attached trailer/suitcase, you can pedal to the airport pack your bike in the trailer and check it in as luggage.
opus –
if you fly an airline such as continental, and some others, you can roll your bike on, unpacked (though youll have to pay an oversize fee, take off the pedals, flat the tires and turn the handlebars), and then just retrieve it, and ride into town, no annoying box to deal with at all.
plus, you can feel safer about your bikes handling by tsa, since they wont feel the need to unpack your box and put everything back in a manner that damages all the contents.
*plus*, you can feel safer about your bikes handling by baggage handlers, since they wont just toss it around like they will a box. over the years (and ive flown with bikes more than the average person, and know a large pool of people who do the same) ive come to the conclusion that a bike in a single-bike hard case or cardboard bike box is far more likely to be damaged than a bike just rolled onto the plane, and i happily pay the extra dough to be able to just ride away from the airport.
baggage handlers are usually not so bad – these days, its the tsa jerks who cause the problems. they dont care, and you have no recourse if they repack your stuff in such a manner as causes it to be damaged. i think they hired the apes from those old samsonite commercials…
I wish they would standardize the look and operation of the threee crossings on this stretch of Marine Drive.
I drove over the new crossing last night and it took me awhile to figure out what it was. I guess because of its proximity to the north runway, there are red beacons atop the poles. This makes this crossing look much different to my eye than the other two, one of which seems to be user activated and the other which seems to be blinking constantly.
wait, did we ride on that last night? I think we opted for the IKEA crossing…
Phil,
Team fixaflat supposedly did some industrial wasteland cyclocross, but the rest of the Midnight Mystery Ride did, in fact, take this route. I love having transportation wonks at the center of our bike fun!
Well actually what I was inquiring was if I could move out there and take my bike with me, and after putting my bike back together ride into Portland and start to live…
Opus
I take part of that back: They have fixed the light under 205. It no longer flashes 24/7.
I was on team fixaflat, and we did use the path after some high-speed portaging across airport way. And I used it again after the festivities, but the um, refreshments I had prevented me from going the right way after the path ended. It\’d be good if there were a few bike-oriented signs along the way!
opus– the answer is yes, you can cycle in to town from the airport. whenever we use the airport we cycle to and from, and leave our bikes locked in the long-term bike parking that jmaus referenced. this new path will make it easier and far more pleasant than our previous route, but cycling to and from the airport has been quite simple to do for a while now. –patrick
Wow, now if they could make an intersection like that for the entirety of my commute, I would be in bike nirvana. Oh, and mabye ban the cars too, that\’d be good
I have been really impressed over the last couple of years with Jason Gately and the Port of Portland. In many cases, they listened to feedback and moved quickly to make getting to the airport by bike a reality. Nice work.
Opus,
Here is a selection of local bike maps:
http://www.cityofvancouver.us/bike.asp?menuid=10466&submenuID=23027&itemID=23511
or you could use http://www.bycycle.org to plot your pathway to a new homeland.
Jason,
Thanks for the great work on making PDX one of the most bike friendly commerical airports in the nation.
Any update on security of the public bike parking or the introduction of smart bike lockers (www.bikelink.org) for the public?
There were about 7 bikes parked at the public rack at the MAX terminal on Saturday PM.
FYI…I flew down to Long Beach for a bikestation meeting and took my Brompton. All went better this time got to gate check (Alaska) or Ala Carte (Horizon) the bike both ways.
Last time I got caught up by an overly strict Alaskan clerk who made me check my bike as luggage (to Chicago)…was not prepared with case or bag. (I brought the cover this time.) It survived but with a lot of paint scufs and chips. (I wish the airlines had a bit more consistant policy for folders that can fit the xray machines…to allow gate checking like a stroller without stealth.)
hi i was wondering if anyone can give me specific information on how to get the entrance of the Marine Drive bike path that is set aside from the car traffic. I have tried to look for it coming from I-205 north but can\’t find an exit to get onto bike path. I am coming from happy valley oregon via I-205 north.
you can email me at psilueng@hotmail.com if needed.
“Our aim has been to make the airport safe and user-friendly for bicyclists and pedestrians.”>>>I hope city or urban planners of our place would have the same plan..
Is this aimed at staff at least as much as travellers? A couple of airports in the UK have introduced great cycle access for locals (Stansted is one) as part of their drive to reduce ground emissions. They even have solar powered lighting for the paths, which I couldn’t see in your pictures !